Ignoring Baliís Moratorium on New Hotels

The Chief of the Bali Tourism Office, IB Kade Subhisku, is blaming that the “egotism” of local governments for preventing the implementation of the province's moratorium on new hotel development in the island’s southern regions.

The three regencies – Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar continue to grant permits for new hotel project in direct opposition to the Governor’s moratorium for hotel developments in South Bali.

Quoted by Beritabali.com, Subhisku, who is the top provincial tourism official for Bali, said that, if seen from the perspective of carrying capacity and infrastructure support, the need for a moratorium in South Bali is clear. Ignoring the moratorium, local regency officials cite the need to increase local tax revenues and continue to issue new permits.

“So how can the province control (hotel development), while the regencies are still racing to increase their tax revenues? If the authority (for new licenses) is given to the province, then Bali can apply the brakes (on new hotels). But, at this stage this is only an idea,” explained Subhisku.

Subhisku called on the administrators of Badung, Denpasar and Gianyar to pay attention to the provincial zoning law (RTRW) before granting building permits to new hotels. This, he underlined, is even more essential given the fact that Bali’s inventory of hotel rooms has now reached 45,000 rooms.